Reverend Dr. Ross Clifford in his 2006 Easter message cited a number of areas of concern which includes workers being exploited by some of the new Federal industrial relations law. The message of Easter, the reverend said was to speak of 'human dignity and the need to protect the exploited.'
Peter Jensen, The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that the new changes of greater workplace flexibility could have 'far-reaching effects' on society. He added that 'the stresses of modern life could become worse under the new workplace law.'
"If this is the consequence of the new legislation, there won't be time for relationships and after all that's what life is about, rather than the economy," Archbishop Jensen said to the ABC. "It will impact churches, it will impact voluntary associations, it will impact all sorts of ways through our society."
Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, expressed his fears to the ABC that the new workplace law could drive down wages and if that occurred, it would be a 'disappointment.'
"I don't particularly like the new IR laws because I'm frightened they could be used to force down minimum wages and if that was the case I'd be very disappointed," Cardinal Pell said.